Refuse compactor with ram wiper

ABSTRACT

A refuse compactor having a cabinet with top and bottom sections, a refuse receiver receptacle in the bottom section having an open top and side walls, a refuse holding bag in the receptacle having flexible sides, a compacting ram in the top section movable in a cycle into and out of the receiver receptacle and bag for compacting refuse in the bag and a flexible wiper blade extending from the ram and having an outer periphery contacting the bag inner surface during the cyclic movement to press the bag against the side walls of the receptacle and also to provide a barrier across the bag in the space between the ram and the bag.

United States Patent 1 Bottas et a1.

1 1 June 5, 1973 [54] REFUSE COMPACTOR WITH RAM WIPER [731 Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation, Benton Harbor, Mich.

[22] Filed: Apr. 29, 1971 [21] Appl. No.: 138,776

Related US. Application Data [63] Continuation of Ser. No. 876,401, Nov. 13, 1969.

3,460,463 8/1969 Jernstrom ..1h0/52 3,537,390 11/1970 Hinkel ..100/229 X FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 713,471 7/1965 Canada ..100/295 Primary Examiner-Billy J. Wilhite Att0rney.1ame's S. Nettleton et a1. and Hofgren, Wegner, Allen, Stellman & McCord [57] ABSTRACT A refuse compactor having a cabinet with top and bottom sections, a refuse receiver receptacle in the bottom section having an open top and side walls, a refuse holding bag in the receptacle having flexible sides, a compacting ram in the top section movable in a cycle into and out of the receiver receptacle and bag for compacting refuse in the bag and a flexible wiper blade extending from the ram and having an outer periphery contacting the bag inner surface during the cyclic movement to press the bag against the side walls of the receptacle and also to provide a barrier across the bag in the space between the ram and the bag.

10 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures REFUSE COMPACTOR WITH RAM WIPER This application comprises a continuation of application Ser. No. 876,401.

One of the features of this invention is to provide a refuse compactor operating to compact the refuse in a disposable bag by means of a ram and having a wiper blade on the ram extending laterally outwardly therefrom and to contact the inner surface of the bag to press the bag against the receptacle and provide a barrier between the ram and the bag to prevent refuse such as crushed glass from being projected up between the ram and the bag to the upper portion of the compactor.

The invention will be described as related to the embodiment shown in the accompanying drawings. Of the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a refuse compactor embodying the invention with portions broken away for clarity of illustration and with the compacting ram in partially lowered position.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary sectional view through the compactor drawer and associated structure and the bottom of the ram and associated structure corresponding to the section 22 through the wiper blade of FIG. 4.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary exploded view of the lower end of the ram and showing the wiper blade and bottom ram cover in full perspective.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the wiper blade.

The refuse compactor shown in FIG. 1 is of the type disclosed and claimed in the Hinkel et al. copending application Ser. No. 724,959, filed Apr. 29, 1968, now US. Pat. No. 3,537,390 which issued Nov. 3, 1970, and assigned to the same assignee as the present application. This refuse compactor comprises a cabinet 1 1 having a top section 12 and a bottom section 13. Located in the bottom section 13 is a receiver receptacle 14 in the form of an open top forwardly opening drawer as described in the Hinkel et al. application with this drawer having a front panel 15 and an upper handle 16 for opening the drawer outwardly to expose the interior thereof. As shown in FIG. 1, the receptacle or drawer 14 has an open top and side walls 17.

Normally held within the drawer 14 is a refuse holding bag 18 that is normally made of plastic coated paper and provided with a folded top edge 19 in the form of a cuff fitting over the open top edge of the side walls 17. A bag of this type is disclosed in our copending application Ser. No. 874,251, filed Nov. 5, 1969. The bag 18 has flexible sides with outer surfaces 20 arranged against the side walls 17. The bag 18 also has inner surfaces 21 and an open top through which a refuse contacting ram 22 normally located in the top section 12 of the cabinet 10 is moved in a cycle of movement into and out of the bag 18 for compacting refuse 23 in the bag.

Attached to the ram 22 and extending therearound is a flexible wiper blade 24. The blade 24 has an outer periphery 25 contacting the inner surface 21 of the bag 18 during the compacting cycle of movement of the ram to press the bag 18 against the side walls 17 of the drawer l4 and to provide a barrier across the interior of the bag above the refuse 23 therein as illustrated in FIG. 2.

As illustrated, the ram 22 has a bottom end 26 and the ram is of substantial vertical height with the wiper blade 24 located adjacent this bottom end. The bottom end of the ram is substantially flat so as to contact the refuse 23 over a large area.

In the illustrated embodiment the bottom end 26 of the ram is formed by a releasable lower end cover 27 that is disclosed and claimed in the copending application of Bottas et al. Ser. No. 876,400, filed Nov. 13, l969, now US. Pat. No. 3,6l3,568 which issued Oct. 19, 197 1. This and the two previous applications mentioned above are assigned to the same assignee as the present application.

Ram cover 27 is metal of generally rectangular cross section with an open top reinforced at the corners as illustrated at 28 and with each corner being provided with an upwardly projecting pin 29.

The upper portion 30 of the ram has hollow ends illustrated at 31 on opposite sides of a centrally located transverse partition 32. The forward hollow end 31 is accessible through a hinged door 33 at the top of the cabinet 11 and provided with its own operating handle 34 so that when the drawer 14 is first opened at least partway the door 33 can be moved outwardly around its hinged bottom and the ram 22 in the top section 12 of the cabinet is exposed for servicing. The ram cover 27, as is described more fully in the above Bottas et al. application, is held in place across the bottom end 34 of the upper portion 30 of the ram by means of a releasable catch mechanism 35 that is accessible through the front hollow end 31 of the ram when the access door 33 is open. Thus, with this arrangement, the ram cover 27 may be removed for cleaning or other servicing.

The flexible wiper blade 24, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, is generally rectangular and is provided with four buttons 36 located inwardly of the corners of the blade and extending through corresponding holes in the bottom end 34 to mount the blade 24 on the upper portion 30 of the ram. Then, when the ram cover 27 is latched in position, as shown in FIG. 2, the wiper blade 24 is retained in position as illustrated in FIG. 2. Thus, the four corner pins 29 also aid in retaining the wiper blade 24 in proper position as they also extend through corresponding openings 37 in the wiper blade as illustrated in the exploded view of FIG. 3.

The wiper blade 24 not only must be flexible but also must be liquid impervious and strong. Therefore, it is preferably made of natural or synthetic rubber, identified herein as rubbery material.

When the ram cover 27 is attached to form the bottom of the ram by the catch mechanism 35 which extends through an opening 38 in the blade 24 and a corresponding opening 39 in the bottom flat end 34 of the ram portion 30, the periphery 25 of the blade during the compacting movement of the ram spans the space between the ram and the inner surfaces 21 of the bag. During the cycle of movement of the ram into and out of the bag in the compacting operation, as described, the extreme bottom end 26 of the ram structure presses against and compacts the refuse 23 as illustrated in FIG. 2. The outer edge of the wiper blade 24 thereby presses the refuse bag 18 against the sides of the drawer 14 as illustrated. At the same time the peripheral edge 25 spans the space between the ram and the bag so that fragments of crushed bottles and the like will not be projected up between the ram and the bag but are confined to the bottom of the bag. This intercepting of projected particles of glass or the like is a safety factor in preventing damage to the operating mechanism of the compactor which is located exteriorly of the drawer.

Having described our invention as related to the embodiment shown in the accompanying drawings, it is our intention that the invention be not limited by any of the details of description, unless otherwise specified.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. A refuse compactor comprising: a refuse receiver receptacle having an open top and side walls; a refuse holding bag in said receptacle having flexible sides with outer surfaces arranged against said side walls, inner surfaces, and an open top; a refuse compacting ram adjacent said receptacle movable in a cycle of movement into and out of said receptacle and bag through said open tops, said ram defining a transverse bottom end wall for engaging and compacting refuse in said bag; a

flexible wiper blade; and means for attaching said blade to said ram at a position spaced vertically from said bottom wall, said blade extending laterally around said ram and having an outer periphery contacting said bag inner surfaces during said cycle of movement to press said bag against said receptacle walls and provide a barrier across the bag.

2. The compactor of claim 1 wherein said ram has a flat bottom end and is of substantial vertical dimension, and said wiper blade is located adjacent said bottom end.

3. The compactor of claim 1 wherein said ram has sides spaced inwardly from said receptacle side walls and defining with said side walls a clearance space having a substantial length in the direction of movement of said receptacle and bag through said open tops for compacting refuse in said bag; and

a flexible wiper blade attached to said ram extending therearound and having an outer periphery contacting said bag inner surfaces during said cycle of movement to press said bag against said receptacle walls and provide a barrier across the bag, said ram releasably carrying a lower end element, and said wiper blade comprising a flat flexible sheet retained between said lower end element and said ram.

6. The compactor of claim 5 wherein said ram has a flat bottom end and a substantial vertical dimension, said wiper blade being located adjacent said bottom end, and said ram has sides spaced from said receptacle side walls with said wiper blade bridging the space between said ram and said side walls.

7. The compactor of claim 6 wherein said sheet comprises a resilient material.

8. A refuse compactor comprising:

a refuse receiver receptacle having an open top and side walls;

a refuse holding bag in said receptacle having flexible sides with outer surfaces arranged against said side walls, inner surfaces, and an open top;

a refuse compacting ram adjacent said receptacle movable in a cycle of movement into and out of said receptacle and bag through said open tops for compacting refuse in said bag; and

a flexible wiper blade attached to said ram extending therearound and having an outer periphery contacting said bag inner surfaces during said cycle of movement to press said bag against said receptacle walls and provide a barrier across the bag, said ram defining a separable lower end element, and said wiper blade being mounted to the ram at the upper end of said end element.

9. The refuse compactor of claim 8 wherein said wiper blade is held to said ram by said end element.

10. The refuse compactor of claim 8 wherein said end element includes means interlocking with said wiper blade for positioning the wiper blade in a preselected relationship to said ram. 

1. A refuse compactor comprising: a refuse receiver receptacle having an open top and side walls; a refuse holding bag in said receptacle having flexible sides with outer surfaces arranged against said side walls, inner surfaces, and an open top; a refuse compacting ram adjacent said receptacle movable in a cycle of movement into and out of said receptacle and bag through said open tops, said ram defining a transverse bottom end wall for engaging and compacting refuse in said bag; a flexible wiper blade; and means for attaching said blade to said ram at a position spaced vertically from said bottom wall, said blade extending laterally around said ram and having an outer periphery contacting said bag inner surfaces during said cycle of movement to press said bag against said receptacle walls and provide a barrier across the bag.
 2. The compactor of claim 1 wherein said ram has a flat bottom end and is of substantial vertical dimension, and said wiper blade is located adjacent said bottom end.
 3. The compactor of claim 1 wherein said ram has sides spaced inwardly from said receptacle side walls and defining with said side walls a clearance space having a substantial length in the direction of movement of the ram for effectively precluding compacting engagement of the wiper blade with the refuse being compacted by said bottom end wall.
 4. The compactor of claim 1 wherein said flexible wiper blade comprises a resilient material.
 5. A refuse compactor comprising: a refuse receiver receptacle having an open top and side walls; a refuse holding bag in said receptacle having flexible sides with outer surfaces arranged against said side walls, inner surfaces, and an open top; a refuse compacting ram adjacent said receptacle movable in a cycle of movement into and out of said receptacle and bag through said open tops for compacting refuse in said bag; and a flexible wiper blade attached to said ram extending therearound and having an outer periphery contacting said bag inner surfaces during said cycle of movement to press said bag against said receptacle walls and provide a barrier across the bag, said ram releasably carrying a lower end element, and said wiper blade comprising a flat flexible sheet retained between said lower end element and said ram.
 6. The compactor of claim 5 wherein said ram has a flat bottom end and a substantial vertical dimension, said wiper blade being located adjacent said bottom end, and said ram has sides spaced from said receptacle side walls with said wiper blade bridging the space between said ram and said side walls.
 7. The compactor of claim 6 wherein said sheet comprises a resilient material.
 8. A refuse compactor comprising: a refuse receiver receptacle having an open top and side walls; a refuse holding bag in said receptacle having flexible sides with outer surfaces arranged against said side walls, inner surfaces, and an open top; a refuse compacting ram adjacent said receptacle movable in a cycle of movement into and out of said receptacle and bag through said open tops for compacting refuse in said bag; and a flexible wiper blade attached to said ram extending therearound and having an outer periphery contacting said bag inner surfaces during said cycle of movement to press said bag against said receptacle walls and provide a barrier across the bag, said ram defining a separable lower end element, and said wiper blade being mounted to the ram at the upper end of said end element.
 9. The refuse compactor of claim 8 wherein said wiper blade is held to said ram by said end element.
 10. The refuse compactor of claim 8 wherein said end element includes means interlocking with said wiper blade for positioning the wiper blade in a preselected relationship to said ram. 